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Starlink Expands to 20 Countries, Apologises for Order Delays
Bharti Airtel Stock Performing Really Strong, Touches All Time High
Russia’s First Hospital Based 5G Innovation Range to Come in Moscow
Indian Government Sets Up Committee for Clearance Of Satellite Networks
India Will Launch 6G by 2023 End or 2024: Vaishnaw
JioFiber, ACT, You Broadband, Tata Sky – 150 Mbps Unlimited Data Plans
iOS 15: Three Hidden Features You Didn’t Know About
Lava Brings Dedicated Service Initiative for Agni 5G Users
OnePlus 9RT India Launch Might be Very Near, Here’s Why
Samsung Swoops in at 2nd Position as it Witnessed High Sales of Smartwatches in Q3 of 2021
Google Assistant, Search, Google Pay Rolling India Exclusive Features
Vodafone Idea Advance Recharge or Multi Recharge Facility Details
WhatsApp Rolls Out Safety Features for Users
Soundcore Launches Life Q Series Headphones In India
Nxtra by Airtel Announces New Large Data Center in Chennai
Reliance Jio Might Go Opposite Airtel, Vodafone Idea
Vodafone Idea Increases Prepaid Tariffs, Similar as Airtel Plans
Airtel Multi Recharge or Prepaid Plan Recharge Queue Details
WhatsApp Working to Enhance Audio Playback Feature
TRAI Data Shows Jio Lost 19 Million Users in September 2021

Starlink Expands to 20 Countries, Apologises for Order Delays

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 12:25 AM PST

SpaceX owned satellite communications (Satcom) company Starlink has apologised to customers for delays in estimated delivery times of the product. Through an email verified by TelecomTalk, Starlink has said that these delays have occurred due to the silicon shortages over the last six months, which has affected the expected production rate and targets of the company. Users who want to check the estimated delivery time of their Starlink kit can log in to their account page on the website of Starlink (starlink.com). Further, the company will be sending emails to users for whom the order is ready to ship.

Starlink Plans to Launch in 45+ New Countries by the end of 2022

2022 is going to be a crucial year for Starlink. It would be more like a pilot year for the company in several nations, which will set the tone for its future. After launching in the United States in 2020, the company has launched services in 20 more countries which include the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and more. The company is aggressively looking to launch more low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites into space so that it can reach its goal of providing global coverage as soon as possible. Once the pending regulatory approvals are cleared, Starlink will add 45+ countries to its list for providing services. This also includes India, where the company has already started hiring without getting any regulatory approval. Starlink is currently hiring in India for only two job posts. If you want to know more about these job posts, click here. The satcom company confirmed that its new version of Starlink has been created to increase the volume of production. Further, even the performance of the new Starlink is better than the previous version. The company has confirmed that the new Starlink will start shipping globally next year. Pre-booking of a Starlink connection is available in India through its website for an amount of $99 or Rs 7500 approximately.

Bharti Airtel Stock Performing Really Strong, Touches All Time High

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 11:13 PM PST

Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications service provider in India, has seen new highs recently. The telco's stock has touched its lifetime high price point post the announcement of prepaid tariff hikes. With the tariff hikes, the telco's average revenue per user (ARPU) from wireless operations is going to increase substantially, which will positively affect future revenues. At the time of writing, Bharti Airtel's stock is trading at Rs 764.50, which is 0.74% in the green. After closing at Rs 758.90 on Tuesday, Airtel's stock opened at Rs 764 on Wednesday morning, which was a new high itself. However, in the morning session, Airtel's shares also touched Rs 781.80 before dropping to Rs 764.50 (at the time of this writing).

Airtel Shares Boosting Because Vodafone Idea Also Announced Tariff Hikes

Vodafone Idea (Vi) also announced tariff hikes on Tuesday. This means that Airtel isn't alone in the race to increase ARPU. If Vi hadn't increased tariffs, it would have meant a very high subscriber churn rate for Airtel. But since the new rates of the plans would be the same for both the operators, the subscribers will have no option but to either turn to Jio or stay with their respective operators. In the last few months, Bharti Airtel's stock has performed really strongly. Firstly, it was the relief measures announced by the government and then it was the government's intention of withdrawing the one-time spectrum charge (OTSC) case from the Supreme Court. Now, it is the tariff hikes. With the tariff hikes, the overall investor sentiment will go up for Bharti Airtel as Vodafone Idea has followed the telco as well. In the case of Vodafone Idea (listed as Idea in the stock exchanges), it is trading at Rs 11, which is 3.77% in the green. Even Vi has managed to get hold of the positive reaction from the market on the announcement of tariff hikes.

Russia’s First Hospital Based 5G Innovation Range to Come in Moscow

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 10:09 PM PST

Moscow, the capital city of Russia, is going to get the country's first hospital-based 5G innovation range. Botkin Hospital in Moscow will deploy Russia's first industrial testing site with 5G infrastructure for testing breakthrough digital technologies in healthcare. Some of the promising projects that this 5G innovation range will see includes virtual reality (VR) simulators for training medical personnel, artificial reality (AR) solutions for helping doctors with very complex operations, and more. The crux of these trials will be that all of the solutions will be tested under the hospital environment using 5G technology and cloud solutions. The results of these trials will determine the use of 5G networks in Moscow and Russia's healthcare in the future.

Moscow Centre for Innovative Technologies in Healthcare to Search, Select Testing of Medical Services

The cooperation agreement for the 5G project mentioned above has been signed by the Botkin City Hospital, the Moscow Department of Information Technologies (DIT), and the Moscow Centre for Innovative Technologies, along with Rostelecom, a Russian telecom operator. All the parties mentioned above will contribute to the testing of prototypes and prototypes of solutions, services, and digital services on the basis of the range. All the search, selection, and testing of medical services will be overseen by the Moscow Centre for Innovative Technologies. Rostelecom will be the 5G network provider. The telco will be responsible for creating the infrastructure with the necessary equipment and developing technical solutions. DIT will be facilitating all the stages of piloting the project. The aim of the project is to come up with solutions that will enhance the healthcare services of Russia. Eduard Lysenko, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the DIT of Moscow, said that Moscow would create multiple 5G test sites so that several promising 5G solutions can be tested. The solutions that will be tested at the new hospital-based 5G innovation range will ensure that the prototypes are perfected and made safe for people and doctors.

Indian Government Sets Up Committee for Clearance Of Satellite Networks

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 08:44 PM PST

The Indian government has set up a committee for a single-window clearance platform for all networks that are based on satellite. This was claimed by K. Rajaraman, the secretary of DoT (Department of Telecommunications). While talking in a virtual satcom summit hosted by the Broadband India Forum (BIF), he said that to enable faster decision making, an apex committee with responsibilities from the Department Space, the Telecom Engineering Centre, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the WPC and the NOCC has been authorised to carry out the same as a single platform clearance. As per ET Telecom, he added that considering the requirements of ease of carrying out business and keeping the necessity of the industry in mind, the clearance procedure for the networks based on satellite is being simplified. As per the same, an applicant or licensee has been mandated to get the in-principle clearance from the above-mentioned committee to establish a new satellite-based network.

Committee For Satcom Clearance

Also, the telecom department has set up a task force to develop the satellite-based communications ecosystem. Already, the department has received some new recommendations regarding the improvement of this ecosystem. Now, Rajaraman added that they are in the process of analysing and examining to provide a better ecosystem for communications based on satellite networks in the country. This move comes at a time when the satellite communications market in India is luring in a host of global players. Some of the companies that have expressed their interest to enter into the satcom market of India include Starlink owned by Elon Musk and Canadian company Telesat that will be partnered with Tata Group, Satcom services by Amazon and OneWeb led by Sunil Mittal along with the UK government's partnership. These companies are betting big on the satellite communication ecosystem in India. The researcher ICRA, which claims satellite communications as the next major thing in the Indian market has estimated that the country will have close to 1.5 million to 2 million users of satellite networks by the year 2025. Eventually, it adds that the annual revenue potential of this network will be between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs 6,000 crore despite the current negligible level.

India Will Launch 6G by 2023 End or 2024: Vaishnaw

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 07:42 PM PST

While India hasn't launched 5G, the country is already gearing up for 6G. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Communication, said that India will get indigenously developed 6G technology by the end of 2023 or by 2024. Vaishnaw was speaking at a webinar organised by the Financial Times and The New Indian Express. The minister confirmed that the requisite permissions have already been provided to the engineers and the scientists to work on the technology.

6G Will Have India Designed Software, Homegrown Telecom Equipment

Vaishnaw said that India is heading towards self-designed telecom software and homegrown telecom equipment for 6G. The made in India products for 6G networks can also be exported globally. Not just 6G, but Vaishnaw said that homegrown 5G is also in the cards in the same manner. Vaishnaw again said that the 5G spectrum auctions are likely to take place in the first quarter of FY23. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is already working on the consultation process for the 5G spectrum. The regulator is expected to finish the process by the end of February or March. Even the telecom operators had sought the extension of the 5G trial period and have been granted additional time until March 31, 2021. Vaishnaw pointed that a lot of stress has been lifted from the telecom sector of India. This is mainly due to the relief measures announced by the government in September. The minister further said that the government is working on another set of reforms, and it will be out in the next three to four months. For the unaware, in the first set of reforms, the government allowed the telecom operators to defer the spectrum and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liabilities for the next four years. The next set of reforms would further strengthen the industry. The government has further allowed 100% FDI under automatic route.

JioFiber, ACT, You Broadband, Tata Sky – 150 Mbps Unlimited Data Plans

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:38 PM PST

The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country have been coming up with various broadband plans that are suitable for a wide range of customers. Customers chose their plans based on their consumption requirements that could widely vary. ISPs provide plans starting from 30 Mbps internet speed which might be suitable for an individual or a very small family, to up to 1 Gbps speed plan, which could seamlessly connect a large number of devices. In this article, however, we are going to have a look at 150 Mbps data plans offered by some ISPs that customers can choose from.

150 Mbps Plan from JioFiber

JioFiber provides a 150 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 999 per month. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Using a 150 Mbps plan from JioFiber, customers can get access to smooth and seamless internet across multiple devices. Along with high-speed internet, users also get subscriptions to Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, among 12 others. It is to be noted that the price for this plan mentioned above is excluding GST, and it will be charged when users opt for this plan.

150 Mbps Plan from ACT

The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru provides a 150 Mbps unlimited data plan called ACT Blaze. Using state-of-the-art fiber technology, the connection provides incredible speed and equal upload and download speed. Users can get an ACT Blaze pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 1,085. The FUP data limit levied is 1500GB post which the internet works at a speed of 1 Mbps. Users can also get free trials to some of the OTT platforms and various add-ons with these packs. It is to be noted that this plan is for the city of Bengaluru, and it may vary across the country.

150 Mbps Plans from You Broadband

India's one of the prominent ISP, You Broadband by Vodafone Idea, provides a 150 Mbps unlimited internet plan at a monthly cost of Rs 944. Users can also avail of long-term plans such as a 95-day plan at Rs 2,832, a 190-day plan at Rs 5,664, and a 360-day plan at Rs 11,328. All these prices are including of taxes, and users get a FUP limit of 3500GB or 3.5TB with this plan.

Tata Sky Broadband 150 Mbps Broadband Plan

India's one of the most prominent service provider Tata Sky Broadband also offers exciting plans for its users who want access to 150 Mbps of internet speed. Tata Sky Broadband uses the Tata Sky fiber technology to provide faster and enhanced internet. The one-month plan of Tata Sky broadband for 150 Mbps plan costs Rs 1,050 to users. However, Tata Sky does not offer any OTT subscriptions on availing of their tariff plans. Users do get access to free installation by an expert and a free router band ONT with a Wi-Fi Router. The other offers for the 150 Mbps plan include Rs 3,000 for three months, Rs 5,100 for six months, and Rs 9,600 for a year.

iOS 15: Three Hidden Features You Didn’t Know About

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 11:54 AM PST

The Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple, has a tendency of showcasing all the prominent features it brings with its iOS updates. The case was the same during the launch of the iOS 15 as the company talked about Do Not Disturb replacement, as well as improvements and additions to FaceTime and Maps. However, there are additional new features or update features that were launched with the iOS 15 update that didn't really get the attention. What we could term as "Hidden Features" are actually the updates that provide enhanced and seamless operations on the device to the customers. In this article, we are going to look at three features that came with the iOS update and got shadowed by the main features.

Text Any Scan

The new updated iOS 15 allows users to scan any text they have in front of them. Users can simply point the camera at the sign or the piece of paper they want to scan and the device will automatically do the job. This really cool feature in the iPhone is called the 'scan text' tool and to use it users need to long-press inside a text field as if they're going to use the copy-and-paste prompt. This will allow users to see the Scan Text button or the symbol. Tapping on the button will replace the keyboard with the camera's viewfinder. Users need to Point their camera at whatever they want to scan, and then follow the prompts on the screen.

Precipitation Alerts

The new update in the weather app that came with iOS 15 will provide a lot of aid to its users. Using the iPhone weather app, users can get real-time rain and snow alerts which would help them to chart out their schedule. To turn on the precipitation alerts on the iPhone users need to open the weather app and then tap the three-line icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Next, they need to tap the circle icon with the three dots in the top right corner of the screen which will be followed by Notifications. After turning on the My Location users can simply tap on done to get alerts a few minutes ago before it rains.

Information About the Photos

Earlier if users need to know about the photos they had on their device, a third-party app was required. Now with the new iOS 15 updates, users can simply swipe up a photo while watching it in the Photos app to get the finer details about the picture. Users can get the details such as where they saved the photo from, as well as all of the EXIF information such as shutter speed, location, and the camera used.

Lava Brings Dedicated Service Initiative for Agni 5G Users

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 07:54 AM PST

The homegrown mobile maker Lava has come up with a service initiative called Lava Agni Mitra for the users of its first 5G smartphone – the Lava Agni 5G. Under this new service initiative, the company stated that it will provide a dedicated service manager to help users troubleshoot issues they face with the smartphone. Furthermore, the users of the Agni 5G smartphone will get access to doorstep services for the pick up and delivery of their smartphone from their registered address. This doorstep service can be availed at free of cost. Also, the users of this new 5G smartphone from Lava will be given priority among the company's 8,000 service centres. Also, users will be offered zero-wait time for the customer care calls and will get personalised feedback post each resolution. Regarding this new initiative, Satya Sati, Head of Customer Service at Lava Internation Limited, stated that Lava Agni Mitra initiative and their network of over 800 service centres will make sure they provide the most transparent and seamless service experience for their users.

Lava Agni 5G Specifications And Price

Earlier this month, the Lava Agni 5G was launched in the country. With the launch of this device, Lava became the first Indian smartphone brand to bring a 5G phone to the market. It flaunts a 6.78-inch IPS display with a FHD+ resolution and a punch-hole cutout. The screen has a refresh rate of 90Hz and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 on top. Lava Agni 5G gets the power from an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC teamed up with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. For imaging, there is a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor, a 5MP secondary ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP tertiary depth sensor and a 2MP fourth macro lens. At its front, there is a 16MP selfie camera sensor as well. Other aspects of the Lava smartphone include Android 11, 5G connectivity, dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, a USB Type-C port, and a fingerprint sensor that is embedded power button. A 5000mAh battery fuels it with 30W fast charging support. Notably, the Lava Agni 5G is priced at Rs. 19,999 and is available via Amazon and Flipkart apart from the retail outlets all over the country.

OnePlus 9RT India Launch Might be Very Near, Here’s Why

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 07:02 AM PST

The recent development of events suggests a sooner launch of the OnePlus 9RT in the Indian market. The news comes in as prior to its launch, the device was spotted in an Amazon advertisement on Google Search results by a tipster. The device has been recently witnessed at Google Supported Devices List and Google Play Listing website which hints towards the launch of the device is on the horizon. The original OnePlus 9RT device was launched in China in the month of October and it is expected that it will see its India launch as the OnePlus RT moniker variant.

Details About the Device – Specifications and Price

The country's one of the known tipsters Mukul Sharma was the first to notice Amazon's advertisement of the OnePlus RT on Google Search results. Although there's no listing of the device on the seller's website it is quite safe to assume that Amazon will be the company to launch the OnePlus 9RT as the OnePlus RT in India's domestic market. However, there hasn't been any official announcement by the Oppo-backed smartphone manufacturer regarding the launch of the OnePlus RT in India. The OnePlus 9RT in China came with a display featuring 6.62-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) Samsung E4 AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 chipset and will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The camera module on the handset features a triple rear camera setup. The setup includes a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary sensor, a 16-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro shooter. OnePlus 9RT features a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 selfie shooter as well. The storage space offered by the device is 256GB of UFS 3.1. The handset will also be backed by a powerful 4500mAh dual-cell battery and will support Warp Charge 65T fast charging technology. The price tag of the OnePlus 9RT launched in China was fixed at CNY 3,299 which amounts to somewhere around Rs 38,600 for its base model with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage space. The other model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage space was priced at CNY 3,499 which amounts to somewhere around Rs 40,900.

Samsung Swoops in at 2nd Position as it Witnessed High Sales of Smartwatches in Q3 of 2021

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 06:39 AM PST

As per the recent data, smartwatch shipment across the globe witnessed a significant surge of around 16% year-on-year basis in the third quarter of 2021. The tech giant Samsung had a successful quarter, credit to its Galaxy Watch 4 series, which helped the company to close the gap from Apple. Some other brands, such as Amazfit, saw a slight surge in their market share, while Huawei saw a huge decline in its smartwatch market share year-on-year basis.

The Current Statistics

According to the recent reports, Apple remained on the top of the chart in the third quarter of 2021 by controlling 21.8% of the market. However, the Cupertino-based giant saw a 10% drop in its shares in the past year as the company delayed the launch of its Watch 7 Series. Samsung, on the other hand, had its best quarter in terms of shipment, all thanks to its Galaxy Watch 4 series, and the company even managed to swoop into second place in market share by replacing Huawei and claiming about 14.4% of the total share. Sujeong Lim, who is a Senior Analyst, said in a statement that the company performed much better than what was expected in the third quarter of 2021. However, they were expecting Galaxy Watch 4 series to perform even more. Around 60% of the total sales were made in North America and Europe, where the demand for mid-price range and high price range devices were high. Samsung will also be looking to launch a more affordable watch series in the coming years to compete in the fast-growing Asian market.

Smartphone Market in India Sees a Decline

In related news, the smartphone industry in India has faced a 2% decline in annual shipment and reached over 52 million units sold in the third quarter of 2021. The decline in sales can be the consequence of the surge in demand during last year while the pandemic had hit the country. In simpler words, consumer demand outweighed the supply due to high pent-up demand. Shortage of components around the globe has also forced makers to stock up for the coming festive season. However, the online channels showed resiliency and witnessed the best quarter in terms of shipment.

Google Assistant, Search, Google Pay Rolling India Exclusive Features

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 05:35 AM PST

At the recently held seventh edition of the Google for India conference, Google announced an array of features for its products. The special thing about these features for its select products is that they will be exclusive to India. We are talking about Google products including Google Assistant, Google Search, and Google Pay. To know more about these features, keep reading ahead.

Google Assistant for Cowin vaccine booking

Google Assistant will now provide end-to-end assistance for vaccination booking on the Cowin website. By integrating with eight Indian languages in addition to English, Google has made this feature truly ready for Indians. According to Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President of Google India, voice queries are used twice the global average in India. "Many users are comfortable talking to it," he said. Google Assistant will work in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Hindi besides English. The feature is expected to be out at the beginning of 2022.

Local language support for Google Search

Another addition is in Google Search, where it will now show results in the user's local language. One added benefit to this feature is that it will show the pages in the user's local languages, even if the original content is in English. Google is using advanced machine learning techniques to enhance its translation features. To further extend its voice-driven experience, Google brings the facility to hear search results aloud. A button shown on the search results page will facilitate this feature. Google Search enables reading in Hinglish, Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Tamil.

My Shop, Bill Spilt, Hinglish language support and Voice-based entry for Google Pay

Google Pay is the next to have revamped features. As many people use Hinglish for day-to-day conversations, Google Pay now allows setting Hinglish for the app's language settings. Under the personal tab of Google Pay, the user can change the language setting. Voice input for entering bank account numbers is another feature to be rolled out in Google Pay. With this feature, the users can read the account number in Hindi or English to enter the account number. There is also a bill split feature that will help users to split and settle shared expenses. Finally, Google is rolling out the MyShop feature for entrepreneurs and small business owners. The feature will allow the shop owners to quickly set up a shop online by adding images, descriptions and prices of their products in seconds. They can share the link through the business profiles. All Google Pay features are expected to go live in the upcoming months. The tech giant is enhancing its Android and will be expanding its team across India.

Vodafone Idea Advance Recharge or Multi Recharge Facility Details

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 04:23 AM PST

Like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi) also announced a prepaid tariff hike a few hours back. The cash-strapped telco is looking to improve its average revenue per user (ARPU) figure as soon as possible. This tariff hike will certainly make the investors happy. However, consumers will not feel any love for the said move any time soon. Regardless, consumers can recharge with unlimited prepaid plans in advance at the current rates and avoid spending extra when the tariff hikes have kicked in. Here's everything you should know about the Vodafone Idea advance recharge or multi-recharge facility.

Vodafone Idea Advance Recharge/Multi Recharge Facility

Vodafone Idea (Vi) told TelecomTalk that users can recharge in advance with the unlimited data plans they are currently using. However, it is still unclear how many advance recharges a user can make. One of the trusted TelecomTalk community members, Faraz, has pointed that Vi allows advance recharges up to three times on the Rs 449 plan. So, for example, if you are on the Rs 449 plan currently, you can recharge with this very plan up to three times in advance. The validity of the new plans will only start once your current plan expires. The benefits should also remain the same. However, note that the information – "users can recharge up to three times in advance", is unverified. So it would be better to proceed with caution and talk to the customer care team before you go ahead with the recharge. This is because while the Rs 449 plan might be available for advance recharge up to three times, the other plans with longer validities might have different advance recharge rules in place. Vodafone Idea is not increasing the price of every prepaid plan available, but many of the major and popular plans will see their price going up. If you want to know which Vodafone Idea prepaid plans are going to be affected due to the tariff hikes and more details – click here.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Safety Features for Users

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 03:28 AM PST

WhatsApp, the Meta-owned instant messaging app is hitting the tech headlines every other day as it launches or tests new features for its users. In a recent development, the company has rolled out two new features that will ensure the safety of users in India. The talk is about the new Flash Calls and Message Level Reporting features. Both these new additions are touted to provide better security and control over the app.

WhatsApp Gets New Features

Firstly, the WhatsApp Flash Calls feature is available for new users of the instant messaging service with an Android device or those who change their devices quite often. While they install the app for the first time or reinstall it on their new device, it will prompt users to verify the phone number via an SMS. Instead, the Flash Calls feature will do the same via an automated call. As per the company, this is a safer option as it takes place within the app. On the other hand, the Message Level Reporting feature will let users report a specific message that they have received on the instant messaging platform. They can report a specific message by a long-press on the same and either blocking or reporting the user.

Other New WhatsApp Features

Notably, these features on WhatsApp have been rolled out after the privacy-centric feature. Recently, the app gave control to the users to let them choose who can view their profile photo, status, and last seen. With the new feature, they can block some contacts from viewing these aspects. WhatsApp rolled out a new beta update with version 2.21.24.8 for its Android users with yet another new feature called Reaction Notifications. Notably, this feature was under development for quite some time. As its name indicates, this feature lets users react to messages the same way they do to comments and posts on the Facebook app. Earlier this feature was developed for the iOS beta version of the app and now it has been rolled out to Android users. We can expect the same to be a part of the stable version via a future update, thereby letting all users get the reaction notifications feature.

Soundcore Launches Life Q Series Headphones In India

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 02:19 AM PST

Soundcore is a homegrown brand that is specialised in audio technology. Today, the company has launched a couple of headphones under the Life Q series. The newly launched headphones are the Life Q30 and Life Q35. These accessories feature hybrid active noise cancellation, customisations for listening to music without comprising on the battery life, and the signature Soundcore audio quality.

Soundcore Life Q Series Headphones Price

The Soundcore headphones are available on the e-commerce retailer Flipkart alongside 18 months of warranty. Detailing the pricing, the Soundcore Life Q30 is priced at Rs 7,999 and the Life Q35 is priced relatively higher at Rs 9,999. The Life Q30 is available in a single Black colour variant while the Life Q35 is available in Pink.

Soundcore Life Q30, Life Q35 Features

The Soundcore Life Q series headphones feature an ergonomic design and are fitted with memory foam headbands and ear cups. The frame of these headphones is lightweight, thereby making them suit the everyday needs of users. The ear cups can be adjusted by a maximum of 15-degree that gives a secure fit. With LDAC technology, the Soundcore Life Q35 ensures that 3x more data is transmitted than standard Bluetooth codecs. It ensures lossless transfer in the music. Both these headphones feature 40mm silk diaphragm drivers that will deliver Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified sound. It will ensure that there is deep bass, no distortion and other aspects. Talking about hybrid ANC, these headphones from Soundcore feature four microphones that will filter noises such as airplane engines, traffic, and more in order to deliver a pure listening experience. The multi-code ANC supports Transport, Outdoor and Indoor options for the right level of active noise cancellation based on the surrounding. For a personalised experience, the Soundcore app enables EQ settings and chooses from as many as 22 presets. Also, there is a 2-mic AI uplink noise-cancelling technology for an optimised voice output without unwanted background noise. With the ANC mode turned on, the battery life of these headphones will be 40 hours while it will be a whopping 60 hours with the feature turned off. On charging these headphones for five minutes, users will get four hours of listening time. Moreover, there is Fast NFC pairing, Wearing Detection and other features.

Nxtra by Airtel Announces New Large Data Center in Chennai

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 01:19 AM PST

Nxtra by Airtel has announced the launch of a new large data center in Chennai. It is worth noting that this marks the arrival of Nxtra by Airtel's third large data center in Chennai. It is a hyperscale 38 MW LEED-certified facility spread over 270,000 square feet. According to a release from the company, the new state-of-the-art facility is integrated with Airtel's global submarine cable network. It will help Nxtra by Airtel in providing an end-to-end secure connectivity solution to hyperscalers.

Chennai Has Potential to Become a Regional Data Center Hub for South Asia

Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO, Airtel Business, said Chennai, due to its strategic location and access to cable landing stations, has the opportunity and the potential to become the regional data center hub for South Asia. Chitkara noted that Nxtra by Airtel is already serving global and large Indian customers from Chennai and said that Nxtra would keep investing in the city to expand operations there. Chitkara also thanked the state government for availing an enabling environment and infrastructure support for doing business. With the announcement of the new large data center, Nxtra by Airtel now operates the largest data center network in the country, which includes 120 small data centers and 11 hyperscale centers. Since the arrival of 5G is not far, the demand for data centers is going to increase rapidly. More and more businesses and platforms are looking towards taking activities online, which will require a robust network of data centers across India. To serve the growing demand for data centres in India, Nxtra by Airtel has promised that it will invest over Rs 5,000 crore by 2025 for increasing its capacity by three times to over 400 MW. Further, the company is looking to invest in green energy sources so that at least 50% of its operations are running on renewable energy sources.

Reliance Jio Might Go Opposite Airtel, Vodafone Idea

Posted: 23 Nov 2021 12:32 AM PST

Reliance Jio, Indian's number one telecom operator in terms of subscriber market share and 4G coverage, might go opposite Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi). The telco isn't in need of a prepaid tariff hike desperately like Airtel and Vi. Jio is already making huge profits even though its average revenue per user (ARPU) and active subscriber percentage is lower than Airtel. Vodafone Idea recently announced prepaid tariff hikes following Airtel's announcement yesterday. While a tariff hike would solidify Jio's financial books even further, Jio might wait for a while before going for prepaid tariff hikes. This is because it is a golden opportunity for the telco to go ahead and expand its 4G subscriber base even further.

Jio's Prepaid Plans More Attractive than Airtel, Vodafone Idea

Reliance Jio's prepaid plans at the moment look a lot more attractive than Airtel and Vi's plans. While Airtel and Vi would be able to increase ARPU, Jio would be looking to garner more new users before it comes out with tariff hikes. The onboarding of new customers in Jio's networks should be a smooth ride as the telco has invested huge amounts in deploying additional spectrum across the nation. For example, both Airtel and Vi will offer their 1.5GB daily data plan with 84 days validity for Rs 719 after the tariff hikes. However, Jio will be offering the same plan with similar benefits for Rs 555. The difference in tariffs is significant for the customers to port out from Airtel and Vi to Jio. Jio's 4G networks are available in more parts of the country as compared to Vi and Airtel. Jio has always been strategising about how it can add more 4G users. This is the golden opportunity for the telco to take some users from Airtel and Vi. It will ensure that when 5G services are on the edge of launch, Jio has a mammoth subscriber base.

Vodafone Idea Increases Prepaid Tariffs, Similar as Airtel Plans

Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:50 PM PST

As expected, Vodafone Idea has followed Airtel in increasing tariffs of prepaid plans. The new tariffs are very similar to that of Airtel and will come into effect from November 25, 2021. Vi has also moved its base plan from Rs 79 to Rs 99 for the users, and the benefits are the same as Airtel's plans. This move from the telco is in line with its comments on focusing on increasing the average revenue per user (ARPU) in the short term. Vi will also offer its SMS plan starting at Rs 179 after the tariff hikes kick in. This means users can't port out of the telco's network if they are using a plan that costs less than Rs 179.

Vodafone Idea New Prepaid Tariffs After Price Increase

As mentioned above, Vodafone Idea has almost copied what Airtel has done with its prepaid plans. With Vodafone Idea as well, users will have to spend Rs 719 for the 1.5GB daily data plan for 84 days. Select 4G data vouchers will also see the effects of price hikes. This is good news for Vodafone Idea investors as the telco will now finally be able to earn more out of each of its customers. However, higher ARPU won't make a difference if the telco keeps on losing customers for the coming quarters. Vodafone Idea needs to not only reduce the numbers of users leaving its network but also needs to start adding new ones. The telco already has benefitted from the relief measures that the government had announced a few months back. Now, it is finally in a position where it can invest in its networks to increase coverage and justify the price hike. Vi's ARPU might be able to reach Rs 120 – Rs 130 mark soon with the help of this hike in prepaid tariffs. You check the tariff hikes that Airtel will be introducing by clicking here.

Airtel Multi Recharge or Prepaid Plan Recharge Queue Details

Posted: 22 Nov 2021 10:12 PM PST

Bharti Airtel is soon going to increase tariffs of its prepaid plans. Not all the plans are going to see a price revision, but almost every popular plan is going to see a price hike on November 26, 2021. To save yourself from recharging with the prepaid plans with increased price, you can recharge now and queue the plans for future use. Users can recharge in advance for up to 730 days. The new plan will come into effect once your current plan's validity expires.

Airtel Prepaid Plan Queuing or Multiple/Advance Recharge Terms and Conditions

Like everything, there are a few things that you should keep in mind before recharging with multiple plans. If you are on an unlimited daily data prepaid plan from Airtel, you can recharge with any of the unlimited daily data prepaid plans offered by the telco. But the additional plans can only be queued up till 730 days. If you are not in an unlimited daily data prepaid plan, then recharging with one for the future will not work in the way you want. So before going ahead with the recharge, it would be better to talk with the customer care team of the company for your respective telecom circle. Airtel

Airtel has mentioned on the website that recharging now would allow you to save up to 20% as the price hike that will come into effect will make the new plans up to 20% costlier. The telco has also mentioned that recharging now would not affect the validity of your current plan. The new plan will only start working after the current plan expires. Airtel

Airtel is allowing up to 730 days of advance recharge which means that you can recharge for up to 2 years in advance. If you want to know about which plans are getting a price hike and what will be their new price, kindly click here. Further, if you want to know about the prepaid plans you can recharge with before the tariff hikes come into effect, please click here.

WhatsApp Working to Enhance Audio Playback Feature

Posted: 22 Nov 2021 09:04 PM PST

WhatsApp is developing many new features that are quite interesting and enhance the experience of users. In a recent development, it looks like the developer team is improving the experience of the already implemented features. One such feature that is all set to get an improvement is the playback speeds for voice notes. The ability to play voice notes using various playback speeds was quite a success. It was released on the WhatsApp Android Beta 2.21.9.10 and WhatsApp iOS beta 2.21.90.11 versions.

WhatsApp Audio Playback Speed Feature

Now, the instant messaging app is working on a new version of the feature, which will make it compatible to adjust the speeds of audio messages. For the uninitiated, the audio messages are forwarded voice notes. Until now, if you forward a voice note, it is not possible to adjust the playback speed of the same as it will not have the playback speed button. Now, the upcoming feature will bring this capability to users via a future update. A report by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo has hinted at an upcoming feature that will include a playback speed button to the forwarded voice notes aka audio messages. The feature was spotted in a recent beta update of iOS and is under development right now. We can expect it to make its way to the upcoming versions of WhatsApp beta for Android as well.

Another WhatsApp Feature On Works

This feature has come to light after the recent speculation regarding another new WhatsApp capability under testing – Reaction Notifications. This feature is being tested on the Android beta version of the app. Previously, there was a way to manage reaction notifications on iOS but the same is now making its way to the Android version as well. The report shared a screenshot shared by the report also showed that the feature to react to messages will be available in the future. This feature will let users manage reaction notifications for both individual messages and groups. We are yet to know when exactly this feature will be rolled out to users of WhatsApp and a stable update is expected to bring this to all users.

TRAI Data Shows Jio Lost 19 Million Users in September 2021

Posted: 22 Nov 2021 07:42 PM PST

Jio didn't have a very good second-quarter (FY22) in terms of subscribers addition. While the telco still has the largest subscriber market share, it lost 11 million subscribers in the second quarter of FY22. Now, the monthly performance report from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) shows that Jio lost 19 million users in September 2021, which dragged the telco's total subscriber base to 424.83 million. At the same time, Bharti Airtel added 0.27 million wireless customers. Vodafone Idea (Vi) lost another 1.07 million subscribers, which lowered its subscriber base further to 269.99 million.

Jio ARPU Increased During the Same Quarter

The clean-up of low-paying inactive subscribers from the user base helped Jio in improving its average revenue per user (ARPU) figure. From Rs 138 in the June quarter, Jio's ARPU jumped to Rs 144. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea widened their subscriber market share during September. Airtel's subscriber market share went from 29.85% to 30.4%, while Vodafone Idea's figures improved from 22.84% to 23.15%. At the same time, Reliance Jio saw a decline in subscriber market share from 37.40% to 36.43%. This is not something that Jio will be worried about as the telco's ARPU is increasing, and it still has the largest subscriber market share by a long margin. Along with the ARPU, Jio's active subscriber base figure also improved. Bharti Airtel retained its position as the telco having the highest percentage of active users in September – 97.86%. Jio and Vodafone Idea had 83.65% and 87.31% active subscribers, out of their total users. The December quarter should be even better for the telcos as the tariff hikes are kicking in. Reliance Jio might be looking to clear some more of its inactive subscribers from the total user base, which will again push the telco's ARPU higher. It is worth noting that Jio has the highest number of 4G subscribers in India.